Perhaps the most often asked question from our clients about Europe river cruising is “What is the best Europe River Cruise Line? It is almost always followed by: Why is it the best?

So, I googled best Europe river cruise company and got some really interesting results. The results were all over the place—incomplete lists, reader polls, cruise critic best list(s), and two good river cruise authorities who have some well-reasoned lists.

Why such varied results? I just don’t think you can factor a best list without categories. I also think you have to look for how objective these lists are—the source, their qualifications to review river cruise lines and their reasons to rank on line over another.

Another key factor, in my opinion, is that all river cruises are good vacations and how valid is a best company list?—Does it have any real meaning?

Here is a key fact to support that argument—all of the 8 major lines I cover have good accommodations, free Wi-Fi, wine & beer with lunch and dinner, limited entertainment and tours included in their base fare.

At the very least, all river cruise companies are on par with premium ocean cruise companies and with a few exceptions include more than the ocean cruise lines. And, when you read my top 10 list below, you will see each of the 8 major lines I cover has at least one win somewhere on my list.

The purpose of this blog is provide you a comprehensive guide of the available Europe River Cruise Routes, so you can decide on which route will be the best for your next Europe river cruise vacation.

Europe has the distinction of the continent with the largest number of navigable rivers compared to other regions of the world. They are often devoid of major obstacles such as waterfalls and rapids, and are usually wide and deep enough to allow steady passage of people and material on all types of sailing vessels. Combine the easy navigation with captivating sights such as castles, vineyards, capital cities and small, quaint villages and it is easy to see why folks would want to sail these amazing rivers!

We are often ask “Which river should we sail on for my first Europe river cruise?” My short answer is take multiple trips--I would sail on all of them! However, the problem is that most of us don’t have unlimited time and money to sail them all.

So to solve this dilemma, here is a guide to the European River routes most available to you. I will describe the river, point out a couple of highlights and why you might consider sailing on this river. The routes may be very short or may cover larger distances. While there are some variations, many lines essentially cruise the same route on the most popular European river

Since most folks want to know what the best starting rivers are if they have never taken a European River cruise, by far the two most popular rivers are the Rhine and the Upper Danube, so let’s explore them first together. Then will examine the remaining Europe Rivers you might want to consider for your vacation.